Phase 2: Team Training with USA Truck

Phase 1 of my OTR training with USA Truck is now done! I was signed off for phase 2 by my trainer, Randall. I want to take a moment to thank him for all his hard work with me. He was a great trainer and I certainly learned a lot over the last two weeks about working a truck driver job. In fact, it was downright fun at times. Very hard work and long days of course, but traveling around the U.S.A. and getting paid to do it, well there is nothing better. Two days ago I saw an incredible sunrise over Memphis, TN. that was in my top ten of all time sunrises.

I went over quite a bit of the learning which was required to pass phase 1 in my previous blogs; Backing, trip planning, etc. Yet I would be remiss if I didn't go over the great attitudes and the professional approach by both my trainer and our dispatch at USA Truck. Safety was always first and "Logging it, like you do it" really was practiced out in the "Real World". I did appreciate that part of my training.

An example of the great culture here at USA Truck happened just today when I was dropped off in Vandalia, OH. I forgot my laptop in my trainer's truck and he was already pretty far away when I noticed I had forgotten it. Randall got on the horn with dispatch and they made a few phone calls to check schedules. Come to find out, we had another driver, Mark, who would be very near Randall. Mark was able to pick up my laptop, kept heading east on I 70, get off our exit,so I could meet him and now I have my laptop back in less than 24 hrs. WOW... Thanks everyone. I'm a new truck driver at USA Truck, but this about sums up the get it done attitude here. I'm very happy I chose this company to begin my trucking career.

I'm hoping to keep the updates going during my "Team" part of the training. My understanding is that we will be driving much more as we will be driving as a team. So the updates may not come as regular as phase 1, but I will get it done when I can. There is always a chance to snap a great pic and write an update along the way. Here's one I grabbed in Texas between Laredo and Dallas. This is the best one I could come up with...it all pretty much looked the same! Great driving though!

The Hardest Part About OTR Training So Far...

I think the hardest part of my first part of the training was the backing part. Every dock is different. Every situation and load is different. But what I was taught and what I'm pretty good at is; Don't get too stressed about any tough situations. I was told the first year is the hardest. I do believe this will be true. But, with all the great training going on, I'm sure I will be just fine. It's a lot of fun out there!

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